Michael den Toom

Traka 200 It's been on my FOMO list for quite a while but I find it hard to register for a race a year in advance. Good thing a last-minute spot came up a month ago. Went in without expectations or any real preparation — the plan was just ride hard and see how it goes. Great start together with @shmenys . We survived the first three climbs and ended up in a good group on the flat. Spent some time alone after the 4th climb but managed to recover and clung on to some guys for the last part. Still had a decent sprint left, which was a nice surprise. ⏱️ 07:44:57 53st age category | 116th overall First time fueling for something like this. It went alright — but apparently my body isn't used to that many carbs yet. Found that out after the race 😖 Big thanks to everyone who made this happen 🙏🏽 @fatpigeon.cc @maartjje92 @can_bora_lodges for the great hospitality @shmenys and the gang for the company and support My @massacan_cc did amazing — such a blessing to be riding stuff like this, and she handled everything splendidly Next up: @utrechtultra

Michael decided to go for a slightly stupid idea for the Festive 500. Did he regret it while riding ? Yes. But he also wanted to train for a bigger project coming up : a 1000 km ultra in May. So he figured doing an all-nighter on the bike would be a good way to see what it actually feels like. “I didn’t think it was going to be easy. I pretty much knew I was going to suffer, but I wasn’t sure what the hardest part would be. In the end, staying awake was the toughest for me. The sun went down pretty early and by around 10pm I was already struggling with sleep… …eating was also something I struggled with. I knew I had to eat more, but I just couldn’t make myself do it. I’m really happy I did it, but I needed way more recovery than I expected. It probably took me about a month and a half before I felt properly fit again.” -🇫🇷- Michael a décidé de se lancer dans une idée un peu stupide pour leFestive 500. Est-ce qu’il l’a regretté pendant qu’il roulait ? Oui. Mais il voulait aussi se préparer pour un projet plus ambitieux à venir : un ultra de 1000 km en mai. Il s’est donc dit que faire une nuit blanche à vélo serait une bonne façon de voir ce que ça fait vraiment. « Je ne pensais pas que ça allait être facile. Je savais à peu près que j’allais souffrir, mais je ne savais pas vraiment quelle serait la partie la plus dure. Finalement, le plus difficile pour moi a été de rester éveillé. Le soleil s’est couché assez tôt et vers 22 h je luttais déjà contre le sommeil. Manger a aussi été compliqué pour moi. Je savais que je devais manger davantage, mais je n’arrivais tout simplement pas à me forcer. Je suis très content de l’avoir fait, mais j’ai eu besoin de beaucoup plus de récupération que ce que j’imaginais. Il m’a fallu environ un mois et demi avant de me sentir vraiment en forme à nouveau » @fatpigeon.cc 📷🫶 @estique.cc @michael.dentoom #massacan #festive500

Pathfinder pre ride on the first day of Spring 🙏🏼 #gravelcycling #pathfindergiro #cyclingcommunity #gravelerscc #microadventure

My hardest ride yet. Finally recovered enough to post about it. Festive 500. One go. Bubbles ➝ Brainport. Because apparently we hate comfort. 500 km 20h30 riding 26h50 total time making bad decisions When @fatpigeon.cc asks if you’re up for a “fun little ride" just block the number. Sunset start — vibes immaculate. Midnight — ice rink. Shortly after — me, sliding across it. Cold. Sleep deprived. Questioning life choices. Pedaling purely out of stubbornness. Sunrise saved morale. Friends saved the ride. @maartjje92 saved us with snacks and a warm jacket like some kind of endurance fairy godmother. Hardest part? Staying awake. Eating when your body says “absolutely not.” Pretending this was fun. Would I do it again? Absolutely not. See you next year. Big love to everyone involved — suffering is better shared ♥️🚴‍♂️ 📸 @inspiredbymaartje

Saved the shittiest adventure for the end of the year #festive500 I might just end up dying but at least my bike will look good doing it💁🏽 Stay tuned

@massacan_cc birthday party was amazing! We rode bikes, had fun and got some tattoos done. Absolute blast! You guys are the best 🫶🏼 I hope to be back soon!!!

Another @le_pilgrimage in the books!!! Although the photos mainly show some suffering (which there definitely was) there were a lot of laughs as well. I love coming back to these gorgeous views and hanging out with old and new friends. It was finally time to try out my @massacan_cc on the rough stuff and I can tell you, she handled it great! I couldn't have done it without @flottskii either. You had me pushing it to the limit my friend, thanks for riding with me🫶🏽 📸 @yorit_kluitman @lucie__denis @matt_brk

@le_pilgrimage bikecheck @massacan_cc Paula New Sram rival shifter, XX derailleur with 10-52 and 36t up front @scope R2 wheelset with 45mm Hutchinson Tundra tires and @ptn_pepis_tire_noodle liners @tailfincycling for the 3rd stage Looking forward to riding and hanging out with everyone!

6th @zuricrit !!! The previous two editions I had a hard time hanging on and was the last to get dropped so my goal for this year was to finish in the top 5. I sadly just missed the top 5 podium and finished 6th but nonetheless, I'm very happy to solidify my place in the top 10 among the best riders of the world. Fixed crits might be rare these days, but Zuricrit proves every year why they’re special. The atmosphere was unreal. ⚡️ 📸@drewkaplanphotography @mkm_eu

I'm back baby! @lifeisaride.crit @rundumdiekoe What a race! @brianmegens went full gas from the start and I was the only one who could follow. He attacked a few times but I managed to cling on. I was absolutely gassed so a long sprint was probably a bad idea but I went for it anyway. Brian overtook me in the last few meters but I'm really happy with a 2nd place 🥈 Well done dude, well deserved 👏🏽. I'm happy I could make you work for it😵 📸@twentyfour36

And we're back!!! You didn't think we'd quit did you? Big thanks to @rihsport and @leen.vrolijk for fixing some new forks and helping with the paintjob! We're absolutely thrilled about the result. Perfect match for our @lazersport helmets. Also got some new @stopler_speedworks bars. We're looking forward to seeing how they ride. Next up, @bembelcrit tomorrow!

Not the way I wanted this to go. I had a great start, leading into the first corners. Took a corner way too hard and ended up on the wrong side of the fence. Couldn't get back in time so I hit it straight on. I broke a fork on a @lifeisaride.crit event two times in a row now. Thank god the @rihsport frame is safe!!! It's been rough, dealing with a knee injury again and having to cancel riding @utrechtultra and I was looking forward to doing a real crit, just to have fun and guage where I'm at. Just another setback. But I'll get over it and come back💪🏽 📸360 by @merlingraphy